Are Handmade Knives Better?

Choosing a kitchen knife (or set of knives) or a steel knife with a colored handle is a big moment in any chef’s life. It doesn’t matter if you’re the ‘family cook’, or a professional chef, the kitchen knife is one of the most important purchases you’ll make for food preparation.

One question we hear a lot is whether or not handmade knives are better. When it comes to kitchen knives you have the option of buying ‘factory made’ or handmade versions.

But which is the right choice for you?

In this guide we’ll break down the characteristics of each, and when one may be more appropriate than the other.

Handmade Kitchen Knives VS Factory-Made Kitchen Knives

Factory Made Kitchen Knives

As the name aptly implies, these knives are made in a factory. By machines. In the battle of human vs. machine, who reigns supreme?

Value and Affordability

Factory knives are among the most affordable kitchen knives. Mass production along assembly lines manned by machines means they can cut down on the labor costs and artisan skill needed to painstakingly create an individual work of art.

Build Quality

Factory-made knives are machine-pressed from sheets of (usually lower quality) steel. Other components are similarly mass-produced from materials sourced from the lowest bidder. That’s not to say that the end product isn’t usable, but factory-made knives are notorious for breaking down over time, requiring replacement (especially with heavy use).

Sharpness (edge)

Factory blades are machine sharpened, generally coming moderately sharp from the factory. However, lack of a true forging process and sub-par steel means that factory-made edges generally have poor edge retention, requiring frequent honing and sharpening to be effective.

Balance and Ergonomics

Factory blades generally don’t give much thought to ergonomics and balance. They follow a ‘one size fits all’ model based on a mold that creates mass buckets of handles and stamped blades. Poor ergonomics and balance can increase the risk of injury, hand and wrist strain, and result in an overall less than stellar cut.

Hand Made Kitchen Knives

Value and Affordability

Handmade knives involve a lot of man hours in their creation. From forging the steel to pounding the blades into well-balanced perfection, handmade knives are works of art made by talented blacksmiths with decades of experience.

Because of this, handmade knives generally cost a premium. But they don’t have to break the bank. Vertoku, for example, was created to fill the gap between high-end kitchen knives that were financially out of reach for many chefs, and shoddy factory-made blades.

Build Quality

The build quality of handmade kitchen knives is undeniable. Forged from a single block of high-quality hand-selected steel, each blade is forged using processes perfected over the centuries. Featuring a full-tang design, each handmade knife is built to stand up to heavy use and designed to last.

Sharpness (edge)

Hand made knives are known for superior blade sharpness as well as edge retention. Although factory machines can produce a sharp edge, they fail short of establishing an edge as sharp as can be had with hand sharpening and honing. This is why it is advisable that factory blades be honed prior to use.

Balance and Ergonomics

Hand made knives offer superior balance, with chefs often noting that the knife feels like a true extension of their own hand. This leads to improved cuts, increased precision, reduced wrist fatigue and a lower risk of accidents.

In the Battle of “Man Vs. Machine”, Which Wins?

For everyday kitchen tasks, and when affordability is of greater concern than performance and durability, a machine-pressed knife gets the job done in a pinch.

However, those at home cooks or chefs looking to elevate their dishes and skill set will be wise to invest in a quality hand made knife or knife set.

Experience the precision, performance and reliability of breathtaking hand made knives from Vertoku and find out why so many chefs rave about our collection.